John O'grady MD, MBBCh, BAO, FRCPI

Professor O’Grady trained as a doctor in his native Ireland, before joining King’s as a hepatologist (liver doctor) in 1984. Around a third of the patients, he treats have liver disease due to alcohol consumption. This can range from those who drink too much as part of their social life, to those who have a severe dependency.

He sees patients at both ends of the scale,” explains Professor O’Grady, “those that drink too much but still maintain order and structure in their lives, and those who are completely dependent, whose whole lives are chaotic and revolve around alcohol. It’s not always obvious, either – plenty of patients he has seen still have jobs and families and it’s not apparent they are struggling with alcohol issues.”

The biggest change Professor O’Grady has noticed during his time at King’s is in the demographic of his patients. “he sees many more women now than he did 20 or 30 years ago,” he says. “A few glasses of wine every evening can do more damage than people realize, and liver disease doesn’t usually display symptoms until it’s quite advanced. There are stereotypes about people with alcohol addiction, but it can affect almost any type of person.”